Top Prevention Tips

Cybercrime prevention doesn't have to be hard. When you're armed with a little technical advice and common sense, you can avoid many types of cyberattacks. Remember, online criminals are trying to make money as quickly and easily as possible. The more difficult you make their job, the more likely they are to leave you alone and move on to an easier target. The tips below provide basic information on how you can keep your computer and your identity safe.

Internet Security Glossary

Learn your Internet security ABCs with this glossary of terms. These definitions will educate you and help you protect yourself online.

Botnet or zombie armies
A group of computers that have been compromised and brought under the control of an individual. The individual uses malware installed on the compromised computers to launch denial-of-service attacks, send spam, or perpetrate other malicious acts.

DoS
Denial-of-Service. An attack on a computer or network in which bandwidth is flooded or resources are overloaded to the point where the computer or network's services are unavailable to clients. Can also be carried out by malicious code that simply shuts down resources.

Pharming
An attempt to defraud Internet surfers by hijacking a website's domain name, or URL, and redirecting users to an imposter website where fraudulent requests for information are made.

Router
A hardware device that connects two networks and directs traffic from one network to the appropriate destination on the other. Often used to connect a network to the Internet, some routers have network firewalls and other features built into them.

Trojan horse
A malicious program disguised as legitimate software; often gives someone else the power to take remote control of your computer; may also attack data or systems. Unlike viruses and worms, Trojan horses cannot replicate or propagate themselves and therefore must rely on other methods of distribution.